Improvement in steam-gages



C. A. WILSON.

Steam Gage.

Patented April 3, 1866.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IMPROVEMENT IN STEAM-GAGES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 53,721, dated April 3,1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES A. W1LsoN, of Cincinnati, Hamilton county,Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Steam-Gages; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,making a part of this specification.

This improvement is designed especially for the class of steam-pressuregages which employ a flexible diaphragm, which, having one side of itpresented to the direct pressure and contact of the steam, is connectedon its opposite side with a pointer or-index; and my invention consistsin a provision which, while securing the full effective pressure,prevents the direct contact of the steam and water of condensation withthe said diaphragm.

Figure 1 is an axial section of the preferred form or type of myimprovement. Fig. 2 shows a modification thereof.

A is an air-chamber which receives steam direct from the boiler througha pipe, B, which, entering the lower part of said chamber, passes up anddischarges into said chamber near the upper part of the same.

0 is a pipe for conveying water of condensation back into the boiler. Dis a pipe which, commencing near the bottom of the chamber, communicatesthe steam-pressure through the medium of its contained column of air tothe lower compartment of the diaphragm-chamber E.

The superior levity of the steam will at all times restrict it to theupper part of the chamber A, and entirely out of reach of the mouth ofthe pipe D, while any particles of water arising from condensationdescend by their gravity and escape at the pipe 0.

The air, which naturally min gles with steam, will always maintain thenormal preponderance of air in the chamber A notwithstanding any slight.leakage that may occur in protracted use. By means of the aboveprovision the deleterious contact of steam and moisture with thediaphragm is wholly and permanently avoided.

I have selected to illustrate my invention this device, which a trialtest has proved to be efficient, but do not desire to restrict myself tothe precise arrangement above described so long as the essentialfeatures of the invention are attained by means substantiallyequivalent, the principle involved being susceptible of embodiment invarious ways. For example, a cheaper form of my improvement may beattained, as shown in Fig. 2, in which the parts corresponding infunction to those in Fig. l are marked by the same letters.

I claim herein as new and of my invention- The airchamber A, whose upperpart communicates by a pipe, B, with the boiler steamspace, While itslower part communicates by a pipe, D, with the diaphragm-chamber ot' asteam-pressure gage, and its extreme bottom by a pipe, 0, with theboiler water-space, or devices substantially equivalent, for the purposeset forth.

In testimony of which invention I hereunto setmy hand.

0. A. WILSON.

Witnesses:

G120. H. KNIGHT, JAMES H. LAYMAN.

